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What Causes Recurring Urinary Tract Infections?
81 year old mother, 5'3, weight 112, series of 3 strokes over 15 months.
Four surgeries to remove kidney stones, but last surgery this week reveal that the kidney stoney is likely not the source of UTIs occurring ever few weeks.
Uterus is distended, but this has not been mentioned as a potential cause for the infections.
Mother has been in nursing home for 90% of the time for over 15 months now.
General advice to (1) give to my mother, and (2) appropriate areas of inquiry for her medical staff.
Since today's effort to remove the kidney stone was only partially successful, should more surgeries occur? She has had 4 kidney stone surgeries over several months.
Thanks for your thoughts and time on this. I appreciate the service this site and you doctors give to your users.
Four surgeries to remove kidney stones, but last surgery this week reveal that the kidney stoney is likely not the source of UTIs occurring ever few weeks.
Uterus is distended, but this has not been mentioned as a potential cause for the infections.
Mother has been in nursing home for 90% of the time for over 15 months now.
General advice to (1) give to my mother, and (2) appropriate areas of inquiry for her medical staff.
Since today's effort to remove the kidney stone was only partially successful, should more surgeries occur? She has had 4 kidney stone surgeries over several months.
Thanks for your thoughts and time on this. I appreciate the service this site and you doctors give to your users.
Wed, 25 Apr 2018
Hello,
Antibiotics usually are the first line of treatment for urinary tract infections. Which drugs are prescribed and for how long depend on your health condition and the type of bacteria found in your urine?
Simple infection
Drugs commonly recommended for simple UTIs include:
- Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, others)
- Fosfomycin (Monurol)
- Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Macrobid)
- Cephalexin (Keflex)
- Ceftriaxone
- The group of antibiotic medicines known as fluoroquinolones — such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin) and others — isn't commonly recommended for simple UTIs, as the risks of these medicines generally outweigh the benefits for treating uncomplicated UTIs. In some cases, such as a complicated UTI or kidney infection, your doctor might prescribe a fluoroquinolone medicine if no other treatment options exist.
Often, symptoms clear up within a few days of treatment. But you may need to continue antibiotics for a week or more. Take the entire course of antibiotics as prescribed.
For an uncomplicated UTI that occurs when you're otherwise healthy, your doctor may recommend a shorter course of treatment, such as taking an antibiotic for one to three days. But whether this short course of treatment is enough to treat your infection depends on your particular symptoms and medical history.
Your doctor may also prescribe a pain medication (analgesic) that numbs your bladder and urethra to relieve burning while urinating, but the pain usually is relieved soon after starting an antibiotic.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Abhishek Kumar
Antibiotics usually are the first line of treatment for urinary tract infections. Which drugs are prescribed and for how long depend on your health condition and the type of bacteria found in your urine?
Simple infection
Drugs commonly recommended for simple UTIs include:
- Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, others)
- Fosfomycin (Monurol)
- Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Macrobid)
- Cephalexin (Keflex)
- Ceftriaxone
- The group of antibiotic medicines known as fluoroquinolones — such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin) and others — isn't commonly recommended for simple UTIs, as the risks of these medicines generally outweigh the benefits for treating uncomplicated UTIs. In some cases, such as a complicated UTI or kidney infection, your doctor might prescribe a fluoroquinolone medicine if no other treatment options exist.
Often, symptoms clear up within a few days of treatment. But you may need to continue antibiotics for a week or more. Take the entire course of antibiotics as prescribed.
For an uncomplicated UTI that occurs when you're otherwise healthy, your doctor may recommend a shorter course of treatment, such as taking an antibiotic for one to three days. But whether this short course of treatment is enough to treat your infection depends on your particular symptoms and medical history.
Your doctor may also prescribe a pain medication (analgesic) that numbs your bladder and urethra to relieve burning while urinating, but the pain usually is relieved soon after starting an antibiotic.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Abhishek Kumar
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